A lineman knocked out Patrick Mahomes’ ankle last week, but he’s back in the game and ready for the AFC Championship on Sunday.
Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain, an injury that could sideline players for weeks, but he managed to fully practice all week.
The Chiefs quarterback clearly felt the aftermath last week, and that could still be the case Sunday, but a former Pro Bowler believes the injury may actually be beneficial to Mahomes himself and his team.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) has ankle pain in the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs on January 21, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
(Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Michael Vick said that Mahomes can be a little more controlled against the Cincinnati Bengals.
«Sometimes when you play hurt, you’ll be a little more focused. A little more dialed in. Because you know you can’t really go off script,» he said. told TMZ Sports.
«Playing hurt isn’t a bad thing if you know how to do it,» Vick said. «Only certain people can do it, and the ones who are listening right now know what I’m saying. They can relate.»
Michael Vick looks on from the side before an NFL football game between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots on Sunday, December 1, 2019.
(Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Mahomes told reporters Thursday that his ankle is «better than [he] expected.»
«I feel like I can still do a lot of things. But we’ll see as we get closer and closer. And we’ll see during the game,» Mahomes said when asked how he feels about taking shots out of the pocket on Sunday. .
«You can’t do exactly what you’re going to be at those moments in the game. But all I can do is prepare to the best of my ability. And when we go into the game, you expect the adrenaline to take over and you can make those pitches when we need it.»
The Chiefs are in their fifth straight AFC Championship, all of which they have hosted. They are 2-2 in their previous four, including losing to Cincinnati last year, 27-24, in an overtime classic.
Joe Burrow, #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals, hugs Patrick Mahomes, #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs, after the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 30, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri.
(Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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The AFC title game begins at 6:30 pm, while Vick’s former Philadelphia Eagles will look to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship at 3 pm ET.
Fox News’ Joe Morgan contributed to this report.